The man that the New York Times described as "But for all his bumpkin appearance, the man with the signature white wavy hair and oversized bow tie was a shrewd agricultural scientist who experimented with hybrids"[2] began his career selling fertilizer, but spent his spare time working with popcorn.

In 1951, he and partner Charlie Bowman bought the George F. Chester and Son seed corn plant in Boone Grove, Indiana.[5] Naming the company "Chester Hybrids", they tried tens of thousands of hybrid strains of popcorn before settling on a hybrid they named "RedBow".

An advertising agency advised them to use "Orville Redenbacher" as the brand name[6] They launched their popping corn in 1970,[7]

By the mid 1970s, Redenbacher and Bowman had captured a third of the unpopped-popcorn market.[7] Redenbacher then moved to Coronado, California.[8]

He appeared as the company's official spokesman, wearing a trademark outfit in public that included horn-rimmed glasses and a bow tie. Sometimes Redenbacher appeared in commercials with his grandson. Some customers wrote letters asking if Redenbacher was a real person, and not an actor (see, e.g., Bartles & Jaymes). He responded to this by appearing on various talk shows, professing his identity. Redenbacher, in his book, states, "I want to make it clear that I am real."[5]

Redenbacher was married to his first wife, Corinne Rosemund Strate (1909–1971), from 1928 until her death on May 24, 1971. He remarried later that year to his second wife, Nina Reder, who died on May 8, 1991, at the age of 91. The NYTimes noted that "Redenbacher is survived by two daughters, Billie Ann Atwood of San Jose, Calif., and Gail Tuminello of Valparaiso, Ind.; 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren."[2]

Aside from his popcorn contribution, the entertainment provided by the TV commercials in which he starred were noteworthy.[11][12]

Since 2006, several of Orville's commercials from the 1970s and 1980s have aired on many channels across the United States.[citation needed] The advertisements for the brand's "natural" popcorn snacks were introduced in 2008, 13 years after Redenbacher's death, and feature a clip of him at the end.

In January 2007, a television commercial featuring a digital re-creation of Redenbacher appeared. Redenbacher's grandson, Gary Redenbacher, responded to questions about how he felt about the advertisement by saying: "Grandpa would go for it. He was a cutting-edge guy. This was a way to honor his legacy."[13]

On September 4, 2012, Valparaiso, Indiana unveiled a statue of Redenbacher at the city's annual popcorn festival.[14]